All These Lives
by Dash-Rendar
Summary: UPDATE! Chapter 6 is posted. See the aftermath of the explosion in this chapter and Dick gets something thrown at him  that makes him feel a tad bit uncomfortable. R and R!
1. Chapter 1

Teen Titans

All These Lives

Chapter 1

A/N: Hey everyone.

If anybody would to co-author this story with me, I'd greatly appreciate the help, as I can only write so much before my ideas start wearing thin. Just PM me if you'd like to help. I will only have a max of two co-authors.

Okay, that said, onto the story. Before we get going, I'll give you a quick summary of what is going to be happening in this story.

Setting is Alternate Universe Gotham City. (The only reason it is listed under Teen Titans is because the majority of the characters are from that show.) Kori isn't an Anders. She's a Wilson, therefore related to Slade. He's not a local crime lord, but he is a drinker, abusive and he kidnaps women and teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 for a perverted brand of "fun."

Thanks to my beta, ComixFan1224 or something like that. Lol.

Now, I must give a disclaimer so people don't decide to report me.

I, Dash-Rendar, do not own the Teen Titans franchise or characters borrowed from Batman. Both of those belong to Warner Bros. and DC Comics.

Well, with all this lovely stuff out of the way, I shall start the story. Please drop me a review at the end of the chapter to let me know if I should even bother continuing this story. I hope you all enjoy this.

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The clock on the microwave blinked 9:00 AM on a Saturday afternoon. The sun shone through the window of the Gordon home as Commissioner Jim Gordon stood over his stove, cooking an omelet. Just as the timer buzzed to signal the eggs were cooked, the toast he had in the toaster popped up and the coffee pot finished brewing. "BARBARA! BREAKFAST!" he called loudly, setting the table and dishing out the food.

A few minutes passed, so he sat down and started eating without her. 'She must still be asleep,' he said to himself as he ate. Grabbing the pepper, he sprinkled some onto his food and took another bite, followed by a swig of his black coffee.

At 9:30, Babs still wasn't downstairs, so Jim yelled again. "COME ON BABS! TIME TO GET UP!" He went up the stairs as he yelled and stopped outside her door. Turning the knob, he pushed the door open and nearly fell over at the scene before him.

The bed was a mess of sheets, pillow fluff and blood. The computer desk was overturned, as was the bookshelf. A lamp and bedside table were destroyed and the floor was covered with glass from the broken window overlooking the bay. "Barbara…" Jim whispered before he crumpled to the floor and sobbed.

He rose after a few minutes and, jaw set, went downstairs, grabbed his badge, gun and jacket and took off to the station. When he came in, Harvey Dent, his lead detective, said, "Boss, it's Saturday. You ain't supposed to be here. Your day off." He took a bite out of a donut and swallowed loudly.

"The Tornado Kidnapper struck again." Jim said, sitting down at his desk after hanging his coat up on the rack behind him. He pulled up a file on his computer and stared at the face within. "Slade Wilson, a.k.a The Tornado Kidnapper."

Harvey came in, coat and gun on. "Who'd he take this time boss? I want to get this scumbag myself. He's taken too many people for my liking and on my watch too."

Jim looked at him. "Barbara."

Harvey looked puzzled. "Your daughter? What does she have to do with this?" Then it hit him. His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "Oh boss… I'm… so sorry." He lowered his gaze and stared at his feet.

"That just means we have to work that much harder, Harvey. I refuse to let him take one more person off the streets, especially since that last person is my daughter!" He slammed his fist onto his desk; making most of the loose things, like pencils and papers, jump a few inches from the desktop. "We're heading back to my place to check it over for clues of some sort."

Harvey nodded. "I'll grab the forensics kit from the lock up. I'll meet ya there." Before Harvey could even turn a half step, Gordon spoke again.

"Get Grayson down there as soon as you can. We're going to need all the help we can get." Then, with a swish of trench coat, he was gone. A few seconds later, the roar of the engine to his 1985 Corvette was heard.

Dent picked up the phone and hit MEMORY 3. It rang twice before someone picked up. "Grayson here."

"Dick, it's Harvey," the heavyset man said. "We need you down at the Commissioner's place on the double. We got some searching to do. Tornado struck again. He got Babs."

Dick Grayson, who rarely ever lost his composure, exploded. "He got BABS?" After a second of breathing, he sighed. "I'm on my way. Meet you there in 5." The phone clicked, signaling that the ace sleuth had hung up.

Harvey sighed. "Doesn't anybody say goodbye anymore?" He went out to his squad car, put the forensic kit on the seat beside him and turned on the sirens, letting people know to get out of his way, or suffer the consequences.

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Meanwhile, across town near the docks, Slade Wilson sat down in his living room, drinking a cold martini. His face, deformed from a house fire at an early age, was hidden behind a large metal mask. Only his right eye was visible. "KORI!" he yelled, taking a swig from his tall glass. "WHERE'S MY BREAKFAST?"

The tall girl with the fiery red hair and green eyes glinting angrily came out from the kitchen, eggs and toast on a plate for him. She slammed it down in front of him. "There's your breakfast, you heartless freak." She turned and went back into the kitchen, making sure the second egg wasn't burned yet. After it was finished, she flipped it onto another plate, along with some more toast and a glass of milk onto a tray and went downstairs to the basement.

Heading into the first room she came to, she placed the tray in front of a shivering Barbara Gordon. "Here, you got to eat something. It's the only way you'll be able to fight him off." She turned to go, but a quiet voice reached her ears.

"How can you call that… that… thing your father?" Barbara Gordon, still somewhat short for 17, asked, her blue eyes shining with pain and fear. It was almost as if you could touch it; it was that obvious.

Kori turned to stare at the girl again. Her eyes softened. "I don't. He's not even a person, he's a disease. To call him a person would be like calling you an animal. I promise you, with every bone in my body, I will find a way to get you away from him, if it's the last thing I do." She turned and left the room, closing the door with a _click_. Tears filled her eyes. "I have to do something…"

"You'll do nothing if you value your life, you ungrateful little brat," Slade said from the top of the stairs. His one eye was glinting maniacally. "You're lucky you're my daughter or you'd be down there, like her. Cold, alone, and scared to death of what Tornado is going to do to her." He came down the stairs one at a time until he was directly in front of her. His voice became a whisper. "You just remember that."

She glared at him defiantly before heading up the stairs to her room. As soon as she was out of earshot, she muttered, "Heartless, self centered swine." Then, she remembered that she needed to go get some groceries, so she yelled, "GOING TO GET SOME FOOD! BACK IN A BIT!", took some money out of his wallet, grabbed the car keys and took off.

The old Plymouth roared to life and shot from the driveway onto the roughly paved road. Quickly heading into town, she said mentally, as she was sure the car was bugged, 'I gotta get that girl some help. But who will talk to me? I'm the daughter of a psychopath!'

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Three months later, they were back at the Gordon house. Posters had been put up, radio ads distributed and Barbara's picture was even put on the news twice a day. All that had lead to a few useless leads, so they were effectively stuck at square one.

Dick said to Harvey, "I wish someone would give a real lead on this. We've been over the house a dozen times already and there's nothing here, just like the other cases!" He punched the wall, causing the photos to rattle loudly. "Not a single fingerprint, piece of clothing, hair follicle, or any blood but the victim's own."

Harvey sighed. "You're right Dick. I wish there was a lead too. I hate seeing the commish like this. I never have seen a man so sad before." Shaking his head, he finished packing up the forensics kit. "I'm going to head back to the station. Call me if you need me." He latched the case and went outside as Dick went back upstairs, staring around before beginning his search again.

He went to the window first and gazed at each piece of glass carefully. The hole was too large to have been punched through, meaning the Tornado had probably used a large, blunt object to smash through it. But what?

What could the kidnapper have used that would easily smash through the glass, but leave no clue?

"There has to be something I can use here," he said to himself, tapping his chin thoughtfully. Suddenly, he was drawn to the window again. Pulling out a magnifying glass, he squinted at the outside edge of the frame. Grabbing an evidence bag and some tweezers, he picked up a small piece of metal about the size of a pencil shaving.

"Already seen this before," he said to himself as he bagged it and dated it anyway. Sticking his head out the window, he sighed. The only thing he was the daily traffic, a few pedestrians and the bay. Just before pulling back in, he said, "Wait a minute, I think I got an idea!"

He pulled himself out the window, dropped onto the slanted roof of the garage and flipped down to the street. Years in the circus pay off, eventually.

Jumping into his car, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Harvey. He shot onto the street just as Harvey picked up. "Dent here. What can I do for ya?"

"Harvey, get to your computer. I think I may have found a connection in all the kidnappings." Dick swerved around another car, causing the driver to honk madly at him.

Dent raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Okay, what do you think you have?" He sat down at his desk, flipping his mouse to wake the computer up.

After nearly avoiding another car, Dick said, "Pull up the files of all the people who went missing because of him. Look at their living arrangements. What do you see?"

Harvey quickly pulled up five files – Barbara Gordon, Michelle Liam, Jamie Kingston, Kelly DiGiovani and Heather Lutz. Scanning each quickly, his eyes brightened visibly. "They all live or were kidnapped down by the water!"

Dick said, "Bingo. I'm heading down to the docks now. Send a couple of backup men and come yourself. I'll wait for you outside the dock district." He flipped the phone shut and went back to weaving in and out of traffic. He could just use the siren and portable lights, but it was more fun this way.

His radio was blaring at him. "Attention all units available. Head down to the dock district. We have a lead on Tornado rapist. Repeat, we have a lead on the Tornado rapist."

A few calls came in. "Copy that, Detective. Patrol Unit 325 heading there now. We're close, so we'll be there in 5. Over and out."

"Affirmative boss. Patrol Unit 356 is in the area as well. ETA is 7 minutes. Will meet you there. Over and out."

Harvey asked, "You hear that Dick? We got two extra units and I'm coming down. Be there in 10. I may not be your superior, but I'm gonna ask you to wait. Remember what happens when you run into stuff like this headfirst without thinking?"

"Yes Harvey. I'll wait for you. Grayson out." He put the mic back down and roared off to the docks. "I hope I'm right with this."

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A/N: Well, what did you think? Should I keep this going or is it a major flop? Review and let me know. If I get at least 5 reviews, I'll write another chapter for the story.

If you are interested in being a co-author, like I said earlier, gimme a PM. I'll ask that if you do wish to pair with me, that you have an MSN capable e-mail address so we can talk about this "face-to-face" instead of waiting for e-mails to come and go.

Love, peace and chicken grease!

Dash


	2. Chapter 2

Teen Titans

All These Lives

Chapter 2

A/N: Hey guys! Here's chapter 2 of All These Lives. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

I'd like to thank ComixFan1224 for being my beta reader for this story. I enjoy reading her stories as much as she apparently likes reading this one. Heh.

Disclaimer: See chapter 1.

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Dick stood impatiently beside his black Plymouth Barracuda waiting for Harvey to show up. "Come on Harv," he muttered to himself. "You were supposed to be here 5 minutes ago. We're losing time here." Just then, his cell phone rang. Flipping it open, he said, "Grayson here. Talk to me."

"Dick, go ahead and start without me. I'm held up in traffic a couple blocks away. Some idiot crashed into an oncoming pickup truck," Harvey said, obviously ticked off. Other sirens could be heard in the background through the bad reception on his cell phone. "I'll be there as soon as I can. Be careful, okay? I don't want to tell the boss that he lost his daughter _and_ his best detective. Got it?"

The young detective grinned. "Okay Harv. I'll try not to have too much fun until you get here." They both laughed and hung up. Dick stuffed the phone back into the pocket of his black trench coat. He turned to the officers that were there already. "Okay, you two take the building on the far left. You guys take the one on the right. I'm heading down the center." He flipped his microphone on and said, "Radio silence. Group one will be three clicks for a call sign, group two will be one long, one short and I'll be one short, one long." He demonstrated what he meant before continuing. "If the building is clear, one click. If you found something, two clicks. If you run into trouble, screw the radio silence. Yell at me to come save ya."

The group fanned out, Dick heading straight to the warehouse marked WARF 5. Quietly easing the door open, he stuck the barrel of his gun inside first and then eased in gradually. Scanning around, no booby traps were visible to his eyes. Moving in deeper, he noticed a large crane above him. The hook was dangling a few feet above his head.

"Hmm… looks like this was used recently. It's probably just the fishery workers unloading their catches. Explains the smell too." He wrinkled his nose in disgust as he moved in deeper still, trying to find the light switch.

He found it and suddenly felt as if someone was watching him. Whipping around, he extended his gun and clicked on the lights on in one movement. After a brief stalling noise, the lights flickered on, revealing an empty floor, except for a stray alley cat, which arched its back and hissed loudly before slinking off.

Dick sighed. "You're getting soft, Grayson," he said to himself as he finally decided the place was clear. Clicking in his call sign and his observation, he moved outside after shutting the lights off again.

He came outside and was glad he was wearing his sunglasses, which hid steel gray eyes. The initial burst of sunlight would have been blinding. Just as he was going to check on team one, they called in. Building one was all clear. That just left team two.

Heading over to WARF 6, they called him with a sign of 'Found something.' Dick whispered into his microphone, "This is Grayson to all teams. Head to building by WARF 6. Repeat, WARF 6." He pushed his way through the door and found the other cops standing around what looked like a scrap of fabric.

Rolling his eyes, he said, "Guys, probably just fabric from one of the workers. He probably just ripped his shirt when he was unloading some fish." As he got closer, he noticed it wasn't a male shirt scrap. It was a piece of a tank top. "Babs," he whispered. Motioning to the others, he said, "Fan out. We're going to comb this place from top to bottom. I'm calling in back up. Get to work!"

Moving away, he grabbed his microphone again. "Attention all units, this is Detective Grayson. We have a code red at the docks, warehouse 6. All units are to report immediately. We have a lead on the Tornado. Repeat, lead on the Tornado."

Harvey burst in, gun in hand. "Just heard ya. What do we got?" Dick showed him the scrap. "Well, by the looks of it, that matches the description that the Commissioner gave. Just gimme a minute to go grab the camera and forensics stuff from my car." Harvey turned and went back out at a jog.

Dick looked around, getting the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. They were close. It was as if he could hear the psycho's breathing. "I'll get you Babs. I promise."

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Down below the surface of warehouse 6, Slade stared at a television set linked to a camera above and growled, "How did they find me so quickly? Now I need to move everything." He suddenly spun around. "KORI!" He dropped his wine glass, which shattered on contact with the floor, spilling what red liquid was left onto the concrete floor.

The girl was upstairs in her room, reading a book. She idly flipped the page and started a new chapter as she heard the thunder of her father's steel-toed boots on the stairs. 'He sounds mad,' she thought to herself as he reached her door. "What?" she asked, putting a bookmark between the pages.

He didn't give a verbal answer. He grabbed her by the shirt collar and gave her a backhand, which sent her spinning back onto the bed with a creak of springs. "YOU LITTLE WITCH! YOU GAVE THE COPS A TIP!" he screamed, slapping her again, causing her to curl into the fetal position.

"I DIDN'T!" she cried, covering herself as best she could as the blows rained down on her. 'The bruises from last time were just starting to heal,' she thought to herself. "I only went to the store and back! I swear it!"

He stepped back, breathing heavily. "Well, explain the nosy detectives upstairs then." He turned and left, heading down to the subbasement level. The last doors were closed, but the first was still bolted shut. He slammed it open and Barbara jumped in surprise.

Fear shone in her eyes again. "What are you going to do this time?" she asked timidly, still fresh from his last visit only hours before. All she had on was a large white t-shirt that was covered in sweat and other unmentionables.

He didn't say anything. He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her off. Just down the hall was a docking bay for a mini submarine he had bought for underwater exploration before he lost his mind, as Kori put it. "We're taking a small trip," he said in a greasy voice. "You'll live to see tomorrow if you cooperate." He shoved her in and locked the door from the outside before running back upstairs and grabbed Kori by the arm. "We're leaving. Grab your book and let's go!" He whirled around and left.

Kori sighed, grabbed her book and followed him. She knew better than to disobey him. If she fought back, he fought back harder than before. He almost killed her one time, when he was completely drunk. She still had the large scar on her back which she told everyone was from a 'boating accident.'

Climbing into the sub and sitting behind her father, she sealed the door and emptied the ballast tanks. "We're ready to go. Which hideout this time? Steel City? The Looking Glass?" The Looking Glass was an old abandoned observation dome that was out in the Gotham Bay, just a short distance away from the town statue.

"Steel City has been compromised. We're heading to the Looking Glass for a few days and then we're leaving to Metropolis for as long as necessary." He shoved the throttle open wide and the small sub jumped forward, blasting out of the bay and into the cold, dark waters of the Gotham City Bay.

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"HEY, OVER HERE!" one of the officers called, waving to get Dick's attention.

Dick ambled over, asking, "What did you find, Officer?" He followed the older man's gaze to see a large trap door a few feet off, with a large ladder leading down. "The basement! Why didn't I think of that?" he said, smacking himself in the forehead. "Okay, grab another officer. We're heading down there to look around. Bring the mini cameras that Batman gave us with you." He began clambering down the ladder. About halfway down, he saw another scrap of shirt, along with a thread of what looked like silk pajama pants. 'We must be getting close now,' he thought to himself.

He reached bottom and hit the wall in frustration. "We just missed them!" he muttered, seeing the broken wine glass and spilled wine on the floor. He noticed the television that showed a black and white image of the floor above. "That's how he knew we were here," Dick said to himself. After moving in deeper, he saw that all the clothes were still there, so they must have just seen or heard them above. He lost his cool and yelled, "DAMMIT!"

The other cops were now searching around, looking for evidence. Dick headed upstairs and found what appeared to be Slade's office and bedroom. A double bed stood in one corner and an oak desk stood in the other, holding a computer. Dick looked around and found a large metal pole in the closet. "That must be what he uses to bash a hole in the window." Pulling on a set of gloves and grabbing his finger print kit, he dusted the pole from top to bottom and found nothing. "Man, this guy is good," he said.

Checking around in the rest of the room, he found an operator's license. "He's a metal worker by day. Explains how he got the pole." Sticking both into bags, he moved back downstairs and presented the evidence to Harvey.

"Nice work Dick," Harvey said, tucking one bag in his pocket and the pole under his arm. "We'll get this to the Commissioner. We'll run down his boss, see when he was last into work. Maybe Slade slipped up and told the guy where he was headed." He turned and went to help load some computer equipment into a large basket to be hauled to the surface.

Dick sighed and said, "I got one more room to check. I saw another bedroom upstairs. Don't lift that basket just yet. I might find something for you." He jogged back upstairs and went inside. What he saw surprised him. Purple walls, a purple bedspread, and lots of books. Quickly rooting through some of the drawers, he determined from some of the contents that Slade must have a wife, daughter or was just decorating to make the experience of being a pervert more enjoyable. "HARVEY! YOU MIGHT WANT TO SEE THIS!" he yelled downstairs.

A minute later, Harvey was there. His jaw dropped. "Oh boy, didn't see this one coming." He poked around for a minute and hummed thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, I seem to recall a Kori Wilson in the system. Petty theft a few years back." He turned to leave. "I'll run it when we get back to the station." He patted Dick on the shoulder. "Come on, you need a break. You can come back later if you want to, but we need to let the CSI unit in here to do their work."

Dick nodded. "Fair enough. I could go for a catnap right about now. I was up until 2 the night before working on the Harper case." He was referring to the murder of one of his friends, Roy Harper.

"Tough case, eh?" Harvey asked, as they reached the main room again. "I'm stumped on mine too. I got the Simons case and I must be missing something big on that one cuz it's been on my desk for the last month and a half."

Dick, as they started climbing the ladder, said, "I'll swap you cases for a bit. Maybe we can find something in the other files. Scratch each other's backs, you know?" His foot slipped on one of the rungs, but he managed to catch himself.

"Sure, I'll give you the file when we get back to the station. The boss is going to be thrilled with all the evidence we bagged. The stuff in the computer systems is going to be enough to put this creep away for a long time," Harvey said as they finally reached the surface and nodded at the winch operator. "Bring it up slowly. We don't wanna lose anything."

The man nodded and activated the winch. Gears grinding, the basket began a slow ascent to the top of the warehouse. Once there, Harvey and Dick carefully loaded it into the back of Harvey's car. "See you back at headquarters," Dick said as he got into his own car and roared off.

The radio squawked loudly. "This is Commissioner Gordon. All units are to return to base immediately. Repeat, return to base immediately. I'll explain everything when you all get here. Gordon over and out." The radio became silent.

Dick flipped on his lights and siren and floored the gas pedal, making the car jump forward with a roar. Cars veered away and honked loudly at him, but Dick just ignored them. He finally reached the station and ran inside, seeing Jim sitting at his desk, his fingers in a steeple. His face was more grim looking than normal, so this can't be good, Dick thought to himself as more officers and detectives showed up.

Finally, the older man rose and said, "Thank you for all getting here so quickly. We just received this from Tornado." He held up a thick, black videotape and a picture of Barbara, bound and gagged, but still alive. "This video has not been watched. We're all going to watch it now and try to pinpoint his exact location. This fight stops now!" He slammed his fist onto the desk for emphasis. He then placed the tape into a VCR and punched Play so hard the button almost cracked in half.

After a few seconds of fuzz, an image of a metal mask came into view. The right eye was visible and it was glinting evilly. "Hello G.C.P.D and anyone else who happens to be viewing this tape. You should know who I am by now, but in case you have a few ignorant people in your midst, I am Slade Wilson, also known as the Tornado Kidnapper." He chuckled darkly before continuing. "Now, you should all know by now that I have the Commissioner's daughter." The camera panned to reveal Barbara tied into a chair, gagged and slightly pale. "You want her alive, don't you Daddy dearest?" Slade said from off camera. "Then leave me be. You will stop all investigation into my whereabouts, destroy all evidence you may have collected and put the case into the lock-up with the word CLOSED on the box. If you comply to these demands, your daughter will come back to you within the month, alive and well." The video flickered on and off before snapping off completely.

Gordon sighed. "I hate to do this, but I'm ordering that the case be closed and shelved, with all evidence in lock-up, just until we get Barbara back. We can go live with a broadcast destroying mock-ups of the evidence we have so far. As soon as my daughter is back, that pervert is going down the river."

Dick asked, "How can we be sure that will work? Don't you think Slade would have already thought we'd try that?"

"We have to risk it," Gordon said confidently. "We won't know unless we try. Let's get going men! We have some copying to do!"

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Kori was reading again, but thinking to herself, 'At least back in the warehouse, I couldn't hear him doing anything to the girls.' In the back room of the Looking Glass came screams for mercy from the helpless redhead and Kori was almost crying for the girl. She learned to keep that in. Her father saw crying as a sign of weakness and beat her for it each time. 'I wish mom was still here.'

Her mother had died a few years earlier in a car accident with a drunk driver. 'You'd think that Mom dying from a drunk driver would have made Dad turn away from drinking,' she thought, still reading. He'd been depressed ever since.

The cries stopped in the back as he came out, adjusting his mask before tightening his belt a few notches. "Did you deliver the tape?" he asked, sitting down beside her, but his back to her as he scanned some monitors for anything suspicious.

Rolling her eyes, she asked, "What do you think? Of course I delivered it along with your specific instructions to not watch until 3:00 PM today with all officers present." She turned the page on her book and continued reading.

Slade smiled and said, "Good girl. You just earned yourself a 'Get Out Of A Beating Free' card." He laughed at his own little joke before getting up to go to the kitchen across the hall.

'I need to get some help, but I can't do it with him here,' Kori thought, staring at the communications array near her arm. 'Maybe I can work out a deal with the police and get off easy. I just need for him to be away so he can't monitor me, even just for 5 minutes…'

It was just about 5:30, so the light had virtually disappeared from the water. The lights on the outside of the station clicked on, revealing a variety of fish, boat wrecks and skeletons of sailors who had been on the ships. 'It's a graveyard out there… and it could end up being Barbara's.'

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A/N: Well, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter of All These Lives. Thanks for reading! Don't forget the other R- review! There's a little button down in the corner that calls you. I'll update after 3 reviews.

Love, peace and chicken grease!

Dash


	3. Chapter 3

Teen Titans

All These Lives

Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks to all who have reviewed this story so far and a big thanks to my beta, ComixFan1224 for helping me when applicable. I'm not exactly the smartest person when it comes to forensic science and stuff like that, so most of that stuff is her doing.

I am also tossing around the idea of writing a separate story about Dick and Harvey swapping the cases that were mentioned in the last chapter. If you'd like to see that, say something in your review. If I get at least 3 to 4 reviews saying yes, I'll post it.

Anyhow, onto the story! Have a good read!

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Dick took a long swig from his coffee mug. They had gone live with footage of all the 'evidence' on Slade getting destroyed almost two months ago. He apparently bought it, because he called through a blocked line to congratulate Commissioner Gordon on doing the right thing. It had been a total of 6 months that Barbara Gordon had been missing and now, by unspoken rules, she was to be presumed dead until otherwise proven.

Harvey came into Dick's office and said, "You okay? You've been sitting here for a few hours. Your answering machine is getting filled up with voice mail and your coffee pot is ready to break if someone pokes it because it's so hot." Harvey leaned against the doorframe before jerking his thumb over his shoulder. "The boss wants to see ya in his office."

Dick sighed and put his mug down before leaving the office without a word. He knocked once on the Commissioner's door before walking in and sitting down. "You wanted to see me about something?"

Jim was facing the window, the back of his tall leather chair facing Dick. "Your performance has been dropping as of late. Normally, you've got three to four cases solved by now and you've only got one finished." He turned around to stare at the young detective. "You got something on your mind?"

"Babs was supposed to be back by now. You know Slade just played us and you're not doing anything about it," Dick stated matter-of-factly. "I've been scheming of a way to track down where he was going. I went back to the crime scene and found a small berth about the size of a small four person submarine."

Gordon cut him off. "I know where you're going with this. You're not going to do anything that will put my daughter in danger." He pushed his glasses back up his nose and leaned back, his fingers making a steeple. "You're going to leave this case alone Dick, or I'll revoke your badge. Clear?"

Dick sighed. "Yes sir. I'll head back to work now." He rose to leave but Gordon said something. "Pardon me sir?"

"I said," Gordon replied, "I'm just as worried about Barbara as you are, if not more." He sighed. "Head back to work."

Dick nodded. "Yes sir." He went back to his desk and saw Harvey on the way. "Hey Harvey, did you ever do that research on the Wilson girl?"

"Oh right! I did get something on that. You want me to give you the file?" Harvey asked, sitting down at his desk and began rooting through some folders on his desk. "Found it!" he cried and passed it to Dick. "Bring that back when you're done."

Dick said, "Thanks Harv. I'll get this back to you ASAP." He sat down at his desk and flipped through the file. Kori Wilson, age 16. She was six foot two, which was extremely tall for a girl. Dick tapped his chin thoughtfully before leaving and heading back to Commissioner Gordon's office. "Sir, I think I know a way we can get Barbara back that won't interfere with Slade."

Jim leaned forward. "I'm listening."

Dick laid down his plan for the Commissioner, who listened with interest and finally, the older man said, "Dick, you've got something. Let's see if it works. Post the bulletin as soon as you can."

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The radio was blaring in the small area. Kori wanted to turn the blasted thing off, but her father was listening to it. Just then, the disc jockey came on. "Hello Gotham City! I am proud to announce that we have a new contest on this radio station! It's called Gotham Radio Idol! This round of auditions is only open to females between the ages of 14 and 18. Whoever wins the round will get a $250 music shopping spree courtesy of the Gotham City Shopping Center. The auditions will be held tomorrow at Center Court from 10:00 AM to noon." A few more sponsor ads came on before the radio returned to the music.

"Hey Dad…" Kori said, but she got cut off.

"I know what you're going to say and the answer is no. I bet anything that this is a trap from the police to snag me down. You're not going anywhere."

Kori pointed to the refrigerator. "We're running low on supplies and you're almost out of booze. Let me go get the food and drinks and I'll stop by the auditions. If I see a single cop, I'll leave and come straight back. Deal?"

Slade looked in the fridge and sure enough, the food was almost gone. Sighing, he said, "Okay. We have enough to keep us until then. You can go shopping, but you remember to come straight home if there are cops at the auditions. Got it?" His voice told her he meant business.

She nodded. "Okay Dad. You got it." She was secretly happy. She knew that it was a trap too, but she was going to walk right into it. She'd had enough of her father abusing people. She quickly grabbed some sandwiches and milk before heading back to give them to Barbara. 'He may be evil, but at least he's humane,' she thought to herself.

Barbara looked a fair bit thinner, but she was still alive. The door opened and she braced herself for more 'fun'. This was the longest he had ever kept a prisoner before he killed them. Imagine her surprise when she saw the girl come in with some food and milk. "Thanks," she said hoarsely before ripping into the sandwiches.

Kori lowered her voice and whispered, "I'm going to get help tomorrow. Don't worry about it. One more night okay?" She took the dishes when the other redhead was finished. She closed the door and bolted it before placing the dishes in the sink. 'I'll get you outta here. I promise.'

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Dick smirked. His plan was probably working. No matter where he was, Slade probably had a radio with him, so the ad that was playing on the only Gotham radio station would have to have reached him by now. He had finished all the cases that were on his desk, except for the Simons case, which he too was stuck on. "Now we wait," Dick said to himself as he shut off his light and got ready to leave for the night.

Harvey was just heading downstairs so Dick called, "Hey Harv, wait up!"

The other man stopped and looked at Dick as he took the stairs between them two at a time. "Hey Dick, what's going on? Got all your cases solved I see." They started walking down to the garage as they talked.

"I wish I got them all done. I'm stuck on the Simons case too. Might have to call in some outside help on this one. My adopted brother, Tim, lives out in Jump City. He's the best guy on the squad, so I'll give him a call sometime."

"Not a bad idea," Harvey said, reaching his car. "Getting a pair of fresh eyes on something can point out something you didn't see. Night Dick." He got in and started the engine with a low rumble. The car rolled slowly out of the garage and onto the main street, Dick's car right behind. Harvey took a left at the intersection and Dick took a right.

Dick reached his house ten minutes later and quickly got ready to bed. It had been a long day. He'd call Tim in the morning after the auditions at the mall. Setting his alarm for 7:00, he flicked off the light and drifted off into sleep.

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Kori was having trouble sleeping. She had a feeling her father knew what she was going to do and place a microphone or a tracer on her somehow. Sighing, she rolled over and stuffed her face into her pillow. Thankfully, she couldn't hear anything in the room next door. Those earplugs she had bought at the store last time were coming in handy.

'Just one more night Barbara,' she thought to herself. 'I'll get you out of here.' She closed her eyes and tried to get what sleep she could. She was getting up at 7:00.

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7:00 the next morning, the alarm went off. Groaning, Dick rolled over, slapped it off and got out of bed. His feet padded on the hardwood flooring as he made his way to the bathroom. Just then, the phone rang. Sighing, he went to the kitchen to answer it. "Dick Grayson speaking," he said, yawning halfway through Grayson.

"Dick, it's Donna. How's the case coming?" It was Roy's fiancée calling again. She did this every morning ever since Roy had been killed.

He exhaled through his nose. "Donna, how many time do I have to tell you, when I solve the case, you'll be the first one I'll call? If you call one more time, I'm going to have to place you under arrest for harassment of a police officer. Clear?"

She sighed. "Yes Dick. I understand. Just call me if anything comes up, alright?"

"Okay Donna. You know that I will. Talk to you later." He hung up the phone and went back to the bathroom just as the phone rang again. Grumbling under his breath, he went back to answer it. "Dick Grayson speaking."

Donna again. "Dick, can you come down here? I found something that you might be interested in."

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A/N: You want to find out what happens to Kori and see what Donna found is so important? Well, you'll have to read the next chapter to find out! In the meantime, how about a review?

Love, peace and chicken grease

Dash


	4. Chapter 4

Teen Titans

All These Lives

Chapter 4

A/N: Hey guys! I'd like to thank all of you who reviewed my story so far. I love all the reviews I get. Keep them coming!

Also, I forgot to mention it in the earlier chapters, but I took a few things from ComixFan1224's story Little Miracle that a few people with a sharp eye will catch. Read it and try to figure it out.

Anyhow, in this chapter, you'll find out what Donna thought was so important and if Kori's plan to help Barbara is effective or not.

Disclaimer: See chapter one

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Dick asked, "What did you find Donna? I have to go to the mall today. Promised I'd help with security at the Radio Idol thing in case Slade tries anything else."

"Dick, you're going to want to see this. You know how Roy always takes three guns with him on his cases?"

Dick frowned. "Yea, I know that already. He was only carrying two and one was empty of all bullets, but no bullets were fired in the crime scene except for a shell from an unidentified rifle." He leaned against the wall as he talked to her.

Donna groaned. "Yes, that's true, but it's the gun that he left behind that's important. Just get over here. It will only take a few minutes of your time. Please?"

"Fine," Dick said, rolling his eyes, as he got ready to hang up. "I'll be there in a half hour. Okay?"

Donna said, "Thanks Dick. You might be able to find out who it was that killed Roy with this info." She hung up again and Dick quickly bolted to the shower before anyone else called.

Quickly coming out of the shower, he got dressed for work and grabbed his gun and badge before bolting out to his car. Cranking the key around, the engine roared to life. Dick stomped down on the gas hard, sending the small car rocketing forward into the early morning traffic.

He reached Roy's apartment a few minutes later. Knocking on the door, he waited until Donna opened it. He half smiled at her. "Morning Donna."

She smiled back and gave him a hug before waving him in. "You need to see this." She led him down the hall to the spare bedroom that Roy had converted into his equipment room. Sure enough, a small, black 9mm Beretta was sitting in its leather shoulder holster, almost untouched.

Dick frowned. "You called me over here to stare at the second gun he ever bought? How is this important?"

Donna pointed to the cartridge underneath. "You see that? It's not a Beretta cartridge. It belongs to that custom Magnum I ordered him for his birthday. He must have taken the Beretta cartridge by mistake."

Dick grabbed a set of latex gloves from his pocket and put them on before handling the weapon. He tried to fit the cartridge into the base of the gun, but it was a hair too big. "Can I take this back to HQ with me? We have Roy's guns in evidence lockup. If you're right, you may be onto something. He must have been in a real hurry to grab his backup gun and the wrong cartridge."

"Go ahead and take it. I'll search around here to see if I can find anything else you can use," Donna said, watching as Dick tagged the clip and dropped it into an evidence bag. "Maybe he got a letter or something that made him so worried. He never cleans out his mail box and his e-mail is a mess." She laughed ruefully. "He would always freak out at me if I cleaned out anything of his besides his laundry." Shaking her head, she waved Dick out. "I'm sure you don't want to hear about my stupid times with Roy right now. You have work to do."

Dick smiled again and said, "Thanks for the help Donna. I might owe you one. You know my cell number right?" After she nodded, he waved goodbye and went back to his car. Checking his watch, he saw that he had just enough time to swing by the police building before he had to be at the mall. Putting his siren on for added speed, he floored it and the car jumped off the curb.

At exactly 9:30, he pulled into the GCPD parking lot and ran inside and down the first set of stairs and leapt down the stairs two at a time before coming to the evidence lock up. Opening the door, a guard stopped him. "ID please and state your business."

Dick pulled out his badge and said, "I have some evidence in the Harper case. It could make or break it."

The guard quickly looked at his ID, then back at Dick. "Okay. You got ten minutes Detective. Make it fast." He opened the metal door and let Dick inside.

He quickly made his way to the Harper file, which was stored in the weapons area because of the guns Roy had been carrying. Quickly rooting through the box, he found the tagged Magnum. Pulling the clip out of the bag, he slipped it into the base of the gun and it clicked into place. "Bingo," he muttered before pulling the clip back out and slipped it back in the bag. He placed both pieces into the box and left, nodding at the guard on his way out.

Jumping back into the car again, he turned over the engine and floored it again, having to make a twenty-minute drive in ten. The wail of his siren cut through the mid morning air as he wove in and out of traffic. At exactly 9:55, the car swerved into the Gotham City Shopping Centre and Dick jumped out of the car even before it was completely stopped, clicking the engine off and pulling the key out as he moved. The car rolled to a stop in his parking space.

Dick burst in, just as Commissioner Gordon came out of a Starbucks, holding two coffees. "Good timing," the older man said and handed Dick one of the two coffees. "Large coffee, double cream, single sugar and one shot of hazelnut. Exactly the way you like it."

Dick smiled gratefully. "You have no idea how much I need this." He opened the lid and took a large swig from the cup, sighing contentedly. "I had a tip come in from Donna about something related to the Harper case, so I decided to check it out. Turns out the reason Roy couldn't fire was because he grabbed the wrong clip for the right gun."

Jim hummed thoughtfully. "So he had the right gun but the clip was for the gun he left at home and we still have no trace on that rifle. Must be a custom job. I have a friend down Steel City way that does custom rifles. Maybe he knows something about it. I'll take it down his way." They both reached the stage area and quickly laid down the plan to the DJ.

Just as they started the registration, a tall red headed girl wearing a jean jacket, a black shirt and pants with Converse sneakers walked in, looking a bit nervous. Dick pulled out the snapshot of Kori Wilson from the file and compared the two. "That's her," he said to Gordon. "I'll move to intercept." He moved off, acting like he was walking towards the sport center across the way.

As soon as Kori was within earshot of Dick, she whispered, "Meet me outside in ten. I got info on Barbara." She kept walking and Dick whispered his ok back to her.

Jim was shocked. Dick had the opportunity to nab her and he let her go. He walked over to ask him what was up, but Dick said, "She's got info on Babs. We're going to meet her outside in ten minutes." He sat down on one of the benches near the water fountain and leaned back, coffee in hand. "At least we'll get a kick out of the performers."

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Kori was quickly going through the grocery store and grabbed the needed food supplies for her father. Paying for it using the Pay Pass card, she went back outside, hoping to meet up with the two cops she had seen earlier. Sure enough, they were both waiting outside, hands in their trench coat pockets. "You Detective Grayson?" she asked as soon as she was within earshot.

The tall one with the dark hair nodded, his eyes hidden behind sunglasses. "I am he. You said you have information on the kidnapping of Barbara Gordon. This is her father, Commissioner James Gordon." The older man with the mustache and the graying hair stepped forward.

Kori nodded. "I can take you to our current location, but I'm sure my father has plenty of ways to escape. I can't guarantee that your daughter is still alive Commissioner, but I know you'll be glad to catch my sick pervert of a father." She waved them off to a small compact car that was parked a few feet away. "The only way you'll get in with me is if you can cram yourselves in the back seat without being seen. I know Slade has a camera mounted in the dash. I'll block it off while you get it, then stay directly behind the seats and crouch down if you can."

Dick looked at the Commissioner. "Think we should risk it? How do we know this isn't a trap? We should just arrest her on the spot for being an accessory to kidnapping, rape and murder."

Jim shook his head. "We have to risk it Dick. Just get in the car." He nodded at Kori. "Block off that camera. We're coming along with you." He waited off to the side while Kori put the bags in the trunk and then climbed in, setting her purse in front of the camera, that was hidden somewhere in the dash.

"Okay, get in and stay low. Don't move a muscle within seeing distance of that camera or our cover is toast," she said as they got in, Dick behind Kori and Jim behind the passenger seat. She started the car and drove off in the direction of the docks.

"I thought we'd already covered the docks warehouse hideout," Dick said to both Jim and Kori. "Why are you taking us back there?"

"I have to get you into our small sub to take you to the Looking Glass. That's our current hideout, but he might already be onto us and have moved. We have a small two-person sub as well as a larger four person one. I took the four person, so if you want to call for one more officer, do it quick." Kori made a stop at a red light and waited patiently. "You want my cell phone?"

Dick already had his out and was dialing. "She may not be a cop, but she's the best gun handler in this area of Gotham." The phone rang a couple times before she picked up.

"Hey Dick. I was just going to call you. Found something interesting in Roy's inbox…" She never finished the sentence as Dick began speaking.

"I got no time for that right now Donna. Right now I need you to grab your pistols and meet us down at the docks. We got a lead on Tornado. We need the back up and you've got the best head shot in case he tries to use Barbara as a human shield."

Donna replied, "I'll be there in five. I just need to get my equipment together. What dock are you guys going to be at?" She was rummaging through something as she talked, so Dick surmised she was getting her guns ready. He grinned. Roy had trained well. He had insisted on her being able to defend herself and she took to it like a fish to water.

Dick said, "We're on the pier by Warehouse 5. I gotta go. Slade could have the car we're in bugged." He flipped the phone shut and asked, "Does he have any audio bugs in the car?" He chuckled. "I probably should have asked that before I called."

Kori laughed and shook her head, her red hair swishing into his face. Dick's nose twitched as she spoke. "No, no audio bugs. I wouldn't be talking if he did." Dick couldn't hold it any longer and he sneezed loudly.

Kori made a noise that showed her obvious disgust and grabbed her hair with a free hand. "Couldn't you have warned me before you did that?" She made a final turn onto the road by the docks. Sure enough, Donna was there, two pistols on her hips and a rifle strapped to her back.

They waited until Kori blocked the camera again before getting out and greeted Donna. "Thanks for coming on such short notice. Now let's get going," Dick said, nodding at Kori to lead the way to the submarine.

They followed the girl down the ladder to the small berth that Dick had found earlier. The submarine was parked there, floating peacefully on the water. Kori opened the hatch with a hiss of pressurized hydraulics and waved them in. After they were in, the hatch closed with another hiss and Kori emptied the ballast tanks before opening the throttle wide and the small sub leapt from the bay and into the dark waters of the bay.

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A/N: Well, there's chapter four people! Hope you all enjoyed. Drop me a line to let me know what you thought. Chapter five will go up later this week if at all possible.

Love, peace and chicken grease

Dash


	5. Chapter 5

Teen Titans

All These Lives

Chapter 5

A/N: Here's chapter 5 of All These Lives. Let's just say that there is going to be a giant twist that I hope nobody saw coming. If you did, I congratulate you.

I will probably post the tie in story about Dick and Harvey swapping cases anyways. If people read it, they read it. If they don't, no skin of my nose. Heh.

Anyways, thanks to all who reviewed so far. Your reviews are greatly appreciated.

Now, onto the story!

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The small submarine was deathly quiet. Nobody was breathing, as if taking in oxygen would give away their location. The only sound that was heard was the whir of the jet engines in the rear of the craft.

Kori broke the silence and said, "We're almost there. You should see the Looking Glass any second now." She turned the yoke a little to the left and the craft followed, showing a black speck on the ocean floor.

The black speck was getting larger. It turned into a spot and the spot turned into a blob. The blob took the form of a large underwater observation, three separate sections glowing in the dark waters of Gotham Bay. (For reference, think the underwater HQ that Brother Blood had in the episode with the sonic resonator.)

The radio crackled loudly. "Kori, what took you so long? I expected you back a half hour ago." Slade Wilson. The Tornado. It seemed Kori was a trustworthy source… so far. Dick was still a bit wary of the fact that this could be a trap. He nodded at her. "Answer him. Everybody, be quiet. We don't want to blow our cover."

After everyone else was quiet, Kori clicked the mic on. "I got held up at the mall. Just as you suspected, there were cops practically coming out of the woodwork. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get groceries with a cop practically staring over your shoulder?" She released the mic button and waited for a reply. The station loomed larger.

Slade smiled beneath his mask. The group that was with her would be in for a surprise when they boarded the station. "That's my girl. It's almost lunch and I've gotten quite hungry. When you dock, make some sandwiches and bring them to the back room. I'm sure that our guest is getting quite hungry as well."

Kori clicked the mic on again. "Sure thing Dad. Submarine out." She put the radio back down and parked the sub with a hiss as the engines shut down. Filling the ballast tanks with water, the sub rose until it reached the inside of the docking bay. With another loud hiss of hydraulics, the door opened. Dick was the first out, pistol in hand. Waving the others out one by one, they fanned into a diamond shape. Dick quickly checked the storage containers and found nothing.

Nodding, the group moved towards the door. Peering inside, he saw that the control room was empty. The chair was facing them and nobody was on either side of the door, so he cautiously pushed it open with the barrel of his gun. The door creaked open and Dick peered in further and saw no trip wires, laser beams or explosive traps, so he waved Donna forward. "Can you see anything?" he whispered.

Scanning around, she pointed. "Heat sensor by the door frame closest to the back of the room. Eye and fingerprint registration system on the door leading to the second bubble of the station. Hidden laser gun mounted in the ceiling above the fingerprint scanner." She pushed the door open the rest of the way. "Looks like this area is all clear. We can move forward."

Dick nodded and said, "Okay, but I'm going in first. I don't want you guys getting hurt." He slowly made his way forward, gun extended in front of him. Donna followed behind him, her own pistols out and ready. Jim followed behind Kori, making sure she didn't try anything.

Turning the corner, Dick made his way to the control panel and yelled, "WE'VE BEEN HOAXED!" He whipped around and aimed his pistol at Kori, who immediately raised her hands in defense. "You lead us on a wild good chase!" he exploded, spittle flying from his mouth.

She asked, "Did you hit your head on something when you came in? I don't even know what you're talking about." Her face looked like she was telling the truth, but Dick learned that criminals were very good liars.

"Explain this then," he said, shoving her over to the control panel to reveal a digital voice recorder, hooked into the sensor and mic arrays. "Looks like this was a very well set up hoax to me." He crossed his arms over his chest, gun back in its holster. He highly doubted that Jim or Donna would let her get out alive.

Kori ground her teeth together and muttered something under her breath. "I should've known this would happen. He must have known I was lying. For all we know, he's halfway to Mexico by now." She pointed off to the door that led to the other sections of the station. "There was another submarine bay in the second bubble that held a two person escape sub from when the station was still in use. He must have used it to take Barbara to another location while I was gone." She punched the control panel, cracking a few keys off in the process. "DAMMIT!"

Dick sighed and looked at the other two. "Sorry for dragging you guys down here for nothing." He started to head off back to the submarine, but then he asked, "Kori, what happens when somebody walks by that heat sensor?"

She replied, "An alarm sounds and all doors go into lockdown mode. The only way to shut it down is… the control panel." She groaned and quickly checked the panel. The keyboard was slightly cracked, but still useable. "I'll shut it down. Gimme a minute." She typed in a quick command on the keyboard and the computer droned in a monotone voice, "Heat sensor deactivated."

Dick quickly turned around and ran over to the door, kicking it in, gun drawn. Scanning around, he gasped loudly, his weapon clattering to the floor in shock. "Jim, call forensics and get them down here now…"

"What is it?" Jim asked as he made his way over, but Dick stopped him well before the doorway.

"You won't wanna see what's in there Jim. Trust me on this one." Dick tried to push the older man back a bit further, but it didn't happen. "Jim, leave it alone! You'll be better off not seeing it!"

Jim would have none of that and barged past him. He took one look at the room before passing out cold on the floor.

Donna came over, asking, "What is it…" and trailed off. "Oh my God," she breathed before sitting down and cried.

The room behind the door was a literal mess. The bed was overturned; sheets were torn into pieces and the smell of fresh blood lingered. There was a message written on the wall in deep crimson blood, obviously from the naked corpse of Barbara Gordon that hung from the ceiling fan. Her neck had been sliced open from end to end.

"Catch me if you can," Dick read aloud from the wall, quickly pulling out a small camera he always carried with him and snapped a few pictures of the crime scene. "We'll have to send forensics down here after to clean up the mess." He stuffed the camera back in his pocket. "Kori, gimme a hand with the Commissioner. We need to get him back to the sub and to the mainland." He lifted the passed out man up by the arms, letting Kori grab the man's feet.

Donna took one last look at the scene before her and shuddered. That could be her up there. She turned to go just as Kori had passed the door to the main bay. Suddenly, Donna's eyes widened. Running forward, she slammed the bulkhead shut and sealed it off from the inside – the only way to seal it off at all.

Dick heard the door slam and saw a panicked Donna on the other side. "DONNA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" he yelled at her, hoping his voice would carry through the thick door.

A piece of paper came up to the window. In thick black letters, Donna had written EXPLOSIVE CHARGES. Taking the paper down, she flipped it over and wrote on the other side. GET GOING.

Dick shook his head. "WE'RE NOT LEAVING WITHOUT YOU!" Just as he finished saying that, the charges blew. A deafening noise, despite the thick bulkhead door, echoed in his ears as he screamed, "DONNA!"

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A/N: Bet you didn't see that coming. What did you think of my lovely twist? Gimme a review as to what you thought.

Love, peace and chicken grease

Dash


	6. Chapter 6

Teen Titans

All These Lives

Chapter 6

A/N: Hey guys, here's the next chapter. I can't say this is going to top the last chapter for shock factor, but hope you all enjoy it anyways.

I received an anonymous review with a ton of questions in it, so I'll answer them all here. I apologize to all the other readers who have to put up with this.

No, I don't really have a complete plot thought up, I just kinda write and make sure it all ties in. I don't do the whole 'outline' thing. It feels weird, so I write on the fly.

In the area of co-author, I expect ideas and being able to write here and there. I'm not asking you to write a full-length chapter, but suggestions here and there would work out nicely.

Hope that answers all of your questions. If the unknown reviewer finds these acceptable, I ask that you either add me directly with my penname in your MSN name so I know not to block you, or send me a private message on FanFiction if you have an account.

With that out of the way, onto the story!

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Dick shook his head and muttered, "What happened?" He looked around and saw lots of empty oil barrels, a few fish cartons and some large boxes marked RATIONS. He saw that Jim was sitting a few feet off, rubbing the back of his neck.

It all came back to him in a flash. Kori Wilson had taken Jim, Donna and himself down to the Looking Glass to try and capture the Tornado, but had found out they had been hoaxed. As they were heading back to the submarine to get to the surface, Donna had sealed herself in the control room as two or more charges detonated, consuming that half of the station, taking her and the evidence against Tornado with it.

Looking around, he saw that only he and Jim were left. The submarine was gone, as was Kori. "She was in on this the whole time!" Dick seethed, getting to his feet. "I told you we should have arrested her on the spot, Jim! Now we're stranded here with very little food and we're going to run out of oxygen eventually."

Jim shook his head. "She didn't leave us Dick. She's taking the sub around to the other side to see if Donna and Barbara's bodies can be salvaged." Jim choked on saying his daughter's name, but his voice was still mostly strong and steady.

Dick laughed sarcastically. "Right, you actually believe her? She's the daughter of a crook for crying out loud! She was trained how to lie through her teeth as a child!"

Just then, the submarine surfaced inside the small area and the hatch hissed open. Jim smirked. "Believe me now?"

Kori walked out and said, "Hey, nice to see you're awake Dick. You kinda passed out after the explosion. Anyways, Jim, I was able to get the bodies, but everything else was totaled when the charges went off. I was able to get some of the remains for you." She handed him a large evidence baggie filled with a large mass of gray goo.

Dick took one look at it and muttered, "Customized heat sensitive C4. As soon as we walked in, it triggered a timer that gave us 5 minutes. After that, boom." He sighed and said, "I need to go home and lie down. I need some time to sort this out." He headed off to the submarine and walked inside and sat down.

Jim followed and sat behind him with Kori taking the controls once more. Showing Jim a button, she said, "That will release the storage tank I have the bodies in. You can take them to your forensics guy for autopsy before burial."

The sub dropped with a whoosh of compressed air as the water that was in the ballast tanks shot out. They rode home in silence. The water was still quite dark, even though it was close to midday.

A few minutes later, the sub surfaced inside the docking bay under the fishing wharf. Dick was the first out and he climbed up the ladder as fast as his tired body would let him, got into his car and drove slowly home.

He reached his house, parked the car, locked it with a _fweep-fweep_ from his car alarm and unlocked the front door before finally crashing on the bed, not even bothering to take his shoes off. "Things just keep getting better and better, don't they?" he sighed to himself. Curling up on his bed, he closed his eyes and tried to grab a quick nap, but it eluded him.

Groaning, he rose and went into the kitchen. He opened the fridge door and found the small blue container he used to hold his Folgers coffee grounds. Popping the lid off, he took three large scoops, dropped them into the coffee filter and added 6 cups of water. He flicked the machine on and went to the kitchen table to sit down.

Just then, his doorbell rang. He called out, "IT'S OPEN! COME ON IN!" He was too tired to get up and leave his spot at the table.

Imagine his surprise when Kori walked in, arms laden down with some groceries and books. "Where do you want these?" she asked, nodding at the groceries.

Dick raised his eyebrow. "Put them on the counter but make sure I have enough room to get at that coffee pot." He rose, grabbed a mug from the cupboard as he asked, "You drink coffee?"

"Yea, I drink it. I'll have a mug if you don't mind," Kori said as she moved to the kitchen table, sitting down with her back to Dick.

As he poured himself a mug and added cream and sugar, he asked, "How do you drink it?"

"One sugar," she replied. The sounds of another mug being poured were heard and the sound of a spoon on the inside of a sugar dish before a plop and a clink. Dick came around into her view and he placed a blue mug in front of her, the spoon inside the jet-black liquid. "Thanks," she said, taking a small sip.

Nodding, he sat down and took a swig from his own mug. "So," he said after a few moments, "why did you come here and more importantly, how?" He set his mug down and leaned back in his chair.

Kori shrugged. "Finding you was easy enough. I got directions from Jim. The why is a completely different story. Jim has assigned you as my legal guardian for the time being."

Dick raised his eyebrow again. "He assigned me as your guardian?" he asked before rising to go use the phone. "I think he would have asked before doing something like that." He dialed Jim's cell phone number. A few rings later and he picked up.

"Dick, I know what you're going to say and I couldn't find any living relatives in the database and I asked around; nobody else would take her. It's only for a few months until the Social Services find her a home."

The younger man sighed before responding. "I still would have appreciated you asking me before doing something like this, Jim. You know I hate this kind of gig." He leaned against the wall and looked at Kori, who was simply drinking her coffee quietly. "I'll do it, but you owe me a giant bonus on my paycheck." He hung up and moved back to the table.

"Sorry for springing this on you, Dick," Kori said, taking another swig from her mug. "It wasn't my idea either."

"Ah, it's no problem. Come on, I'll show you to your room. Luckily I got a spare room set up for times like this… Well, more like times my younger brother and his pals come over and get hammered and I won't let them drive home to Jump City." He chuckled as he opened the door, revealing a medium sized room with hardwood flooring, a double bed and a large closet that was currently empty.

Kori sat down on the bed before flopping backwards, her hair flying around her like a halo. "Nice room. I could get used to this. A lot better than Slade treated me, that's for sure." She pulled herself back up into a sitting position. She smiled at Dick. "Thanks."

He half smiled back at her. "No problem, but let's get one thing straight. You're under my roof; you do what I tell you. I tell you to jump, you ask how high. Got it?" He leaned against the doorframe as he spoke.

"Fair enough. Can you drive me down to the docks later? I want to get the rest of my clothes from the old hideout, so at least I won't be in the same clothes every day."

Dick nodded. "We'll do that in about a half hour or so. I just need to do a few things around here. My younger brother is coming over to talk to me about something important. We set this up weeks ago, so I kinda don't want my house looking like a pigsty."

Kori nodded and stood up. "I can help with that, if you want. Might as well make myself useful while I'm here. What do you want me to do?" She reached into her pocket and pulled out a hair elastic and used it to tie her long hair back into a ponytail.

Dick jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "There's a small closet back by the kitchen. Grab the Swiffer duster in there and go over the floors. I'll do the bedrooms and the entertainment center. We'll meet in the kitchen to do dishes."

He set off in one direction and she set off in the other. He was running through his bedroom, quickly picking up loose clothes and throwing them into his laundry hamper before making his bed again. Grabbing the plastic hamper, he walked down to the laundry room in the basement and dropped the clothes on the floor, promising to do the laundry later when he had Kori's clothes.

He hated to admit it, but he was getting an attachment to the girl. She was fiery, attractive and caring. He didn't expect her to be fiery or caring, especially considering her father. When he met her, he expected a hard girl, ready to beat the crap out of him and anyone else if need be, but she was nice. "Who would've thought?" he said to himself as he started on the stairs.

Kori called, "DICK! I GOT THE FLOORS DONE!" She put the Swiffer back in the closet and dusted her hands off. "Ready to do the dishes?"

He nodded. "I'll wash, you dry. Just gimme a minute. I'll call Tim and see if he's coming or not. Sometimes stuff comes up." He was just reaching for the phone when it rang. Jumping slightly, he picked up. "Dick Grayson here."

It was Tim. "Hey bro. Sorry to tell you this, but I can't make it tonight. Working a tough case down here, so can we reschedule?"

Dick laughed. "Sounds good Tim. Next week, same time?"

"Works for me. See ya then. Talk to ya later. Gotta get back to work or my boss is gonna have my head on a silver platter." He hung up as Dick did the same.

"Well, let's get started." Dick let the water run for a few minutes as he got all the dishes together. "Towels are in the drawer by the stove, second from the bottom."

Opening the drawer, she grabbed a towel and set to work drying the dishes. After they were all dried, Dick showed her where to put everything so she could get stuff for herself.

Looking at his watch, he said, "It's about 6:00. You want to go grab your clothes and stuff from the hideout now?" He grabbed his coat and keys as she nodded. "Well, let's go."

They both climbed back into Dick's car and drove off. The first few minutes were quiet. Finally, Kori asked, "So, what made you want to go into the police force?"

Dick made a turn as he replied. "Long story. I don't really wanna get into it right now. I'll tell you one of these days." He stopped at a traffic light and asked, "You wanna listen to the radio or something?"

She shrugged. "I guess so. What station do you listen to?"

He turned on the radio and it was on the rock station. It was playing a song by Default. "Count On Me. My favorite song," Dick said as he made the final turn that took them to the docks. "You want me to come and help you or are you good on your own?"

Kori climbed out of the car as she replied, "I could use the hand if you don't mind." She closed the door and walked into the warehouse and started down the ladder, Dick following close behind. They both grabbed some over-the-shoulder duffel bags from Kori's closet and began just throwing clothes, books and other random items into them. Before long, the closet and drawers were empty and the room only held the bed.

Dick glanced at his watch. "Done in a half hour. Not bad. We got time to get home, wash these for ya and then we can watch a movie or something, if you want." He turned and walked out to the ladder, Kori behind him this time.

"Sounds good to me. Wait, is today Tuesday by chance?" Kori asked, climbing the ladder with one hand on the rungs, one hand holding her bag. She gladly let Dick take the bag so she could hoist herself out.

Dick thought for a second before nodding. "Yea, why?" He dropped his bag of clothes into the trunk of the car and took hers from her a second later, placing it alongside the other bag. As he climbed into the cab, Kori sat down next to him and replied.

"NCIS is on at 9:00. I always watch that show to see if I can pick up any ways to trap Slade in his work. I found a couple, but they wouldn't work under the circumstances." She buckled her belt up as Dick turned the engine over and pulled out back onto the street, heading up home.

Nodding, he said, "Fair enough. That gives us two hours or so. I can get some laundry done and you can chill if you want." He sniffed the air and at the next stoplight, smelled his coat and nearly gagged. "You're gonna want to grab a shower too. If my coat smells like this after being down there, you must stink too."

At exactly 7:00, the car pulled back into the driveway and they got out, each taking a bag of clothes downstairs to the laundry room. Quickly sorting out the clothes, Dick set the machine to wash the dark colors. "I'm going to go grab a quick shower before that starts. I'll be in and out in five minutes." He went upstairs and did as he said.

He climbed out and wrapped himself in his bathrobe after drying off quickly. Opening the door, he heard the sounds of the TV in the den, so he called to Kori, "Has the washing machine started yet?"

"No, why?" the reply came back, the TV being muted for a minute.

Dick popped into his bedroom and put on some pj pants and a white shirt before yelling back "Go grab a shower quickly before the machine starts." He handed her his bathrobe and said, "I'll bring you up some clothes after the machine stops. Until then, just use this. Towels are in the cupboard in front of the toilet, top shelf."

Smiling, she set off to her task. Dick sat down and ran his hands through his still-somewhat wet hair. "Shows how many chick flicks I've watched. I'm a natural at this," he muttered.

Glancing at the clock, he saw that it had been a half hour since he started the clothes in the washer. Time to go put them into the dryer, he thought to himself as he rose to head downstairs.

Kori just came out of the bathroom and he bumped into her, knocking her over. As he leant down to help her up, he saw the back of the robe had slipped down, revealing a long, jagged scar that started from right shoulder and went down to at least the middle of her back. The rest was covered by the bottom half of the robe. "Oh my goodness," he breathed. "When did that happen?"

She tugged the robe over her back and stood up. "I'd rather not talk about it. Excuse me," she said, pushing past him and heading up to her room. As she was walking down the hall, she started doing something she hadn't been allowed to do for 13 years. She started to cry.

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A/N: Well, that's the end of this chapter. Sorry if it seemed a little long and boring, but I felt I needed a bit of emotional content in this one. Kinda let Dick and Kori get to know each other a tiny bit more.

Just gimme a review to let me know what you thought of the chapter. I also will be posting The Case Swap as a tie in to this story. It'll be up by Wednesday at the earliest, Friday by the latest.

Thanks for reading!

Love, peace and chicken grease

Dash


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